Obama warns Karzai to sort out Afghan ‘mess’

Barack Obama last night put newly installed Afghan president Hamid Karzai on notice to sort out the post-election mess.

The US president phoned Mr Karzai to spell out the need for a more accountable government.

New President: Hamid Karzai

Mr Obama congratulated him on his second-term election victory but also called for a ‘new chapter’ of better governance after the fraud-hit election.

He said he told Mr Karzai the election had been ‘messy’ but that he was ‘pleased to say the final outcome was determined by Afghan law’.

Mr Obama failed to commit more troops to the country, a sign that Washington is waiting to see clear progress under the second term.

In London, Gordon Brown also said it was essential that Mr Karzai tackled corruption, strengthened local government and built up the army and police. Mr Karzai was declared the victor after his only challenger dropped out of the race.

Rival Abdullah Abdullah quit the contest declaring the vote could not be guaranteed to be free and fair.

The first round between the two men in August was marred with widespread fraud, which finally saw a run-off, due on Saturday.

‘We expected this commission would announce something like this because this commission has never been independent and has always supported president Karzai,’ said a spokesman for Mr Abdullah.

The president is now under intense pressure to bring Mr Abdullah into his government and Kabul-based political analyst Haroun Mir said Mr Karzai had now ‘lost his legitimacy’.

On a surprise visit to Kabul yesterday, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon welcomed the decision to ditch the run-off. He said: ‘Afghanistan now faces significant challenges and the new president must move swiftly to form a government that is able to command the support of both the Afghan people and the international community.’